Terraria 1.4.5 “Bigger & Boulder” released on January 27, 2026, and the Summoner class got its most substantial overhaul since 1.4.4. Nine new whips now cover every progression stage from your first night to post-Moon Lord. More importantly, mana costs on all summon weapons were removed entirely, freeing the accessory slots that old summoner builds wasted on Mana Flower and mana potions. If you’re running a pre-1.4.5 guide, the class you’re reading about no longer exists.
This guide covers every 1.4.5 change, all 9 new whips with full stats, and a complete progression path from Finch Staff to Stardust Dragon. Every item added or changed in 1.4.5 is marked [NEW 1.4.5] so returning players can spot additions at a glance.
Verified on Terraria 1.4.5.3, May 2026. Values may shift with balance patches — cross-check the official 1.4.5 wiki page at terraria.wiki.gg if stats differ in-game.
Quick Start: 5-Step Summoner Checklist
- Craft the Cobwhip on day one (30 Cobweb + 10 Wood at a Loom) — it’s free, available before any boss, and better than having no whip
- Farm birds during the day for the Finch Staff — the strongest pre-boss minion and faster to get than the Slime Staff
- Buy the Pygmy Necklace from the Witch Doctor at night (20 Gold) for your first extra minion slot
- Kill Queen Bee before the Wall of Flesh — Bee Armor’s +1 minion slot and bee swarm are a major DPS jump
- Enter Hardmode in Spider Armor (+3 minion slots, +28% summon damage, Spider Staff from Spider Caves) — do not attempt Hardmode progression in Bee Armor
What 1.4.5 Changed for Summoner
Three changes define the 1.4.5 summoner patch:
[NEW 1.4.5] Mana costs removed from all summon weapons. Every summon is now free. This sounds minor until you account for what it changes: no more Mana Flower slot, no more mana potions mid-fight, no more choosing between a minion slot accessory and a mana potion. Your accessory setup from the first slot you unlock now points entirely toward damage and minion count.
[NEW 1.4.5] Auto-resummoning after death. When you respawn, all active minions are re-summoned at no cost. Before this patch, dying mid-boss meant scrambling to resummon five or six minions while taking incoming damage. That pressure is gone. You respawn at full minion count and can immediately re-engage.
[NEW 1.4.5] Whip tag exclusivity. Only one whip’s tag can be active on an enemy at a time. Hitting with a second whip clears the first tag before applying the new one. The old technique of rapidly cycling between two or three whips to maintain stacked effects is no longer possible. Your whip selection is now a committed decision per fight, which makes the whip selection table below more useful than it would have been in earlier versions.
Smaller additions: minion buffs now display how many of that type are active, pets and minions walk through closed doors, the Blade Staff’s damage penalty was removed, and several existing summon weapons received stat adjustments.
All 9 New Whips in Terraria 1.4.5
All stats sourced from the Official Terraria Wiki whip comparison table (terraria.wiki.gg). Every whip below is new in 1.4.5.
| Whip | Dmg / Tag | Multihit | Source | Key Effect | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cobwhip | 9 / 3 | 60% | 30 Cobweb + 10 Wood (Loom) | Spawns spider on hit (3s, 2 contact dmg) | Pre-HM |
| Slime Whip | 12 / 3 | 60% | 50 Gel (Solidifier) | Inflicts Slime + On Fire! debuffs (On Fire!: prevents HP regen, -4 HP/s for 3–5s) | Pre-HM |
| Soulscourge | 17 / 5 | 40% | 12 Demonite Bar (Anvil) | Corruption worlds only | Pre-HM |
| Vasculash | 19 / 5 | 40% | 12 Crimtane Bar (Anvil) | Crimson worlds only; marginally stronger than Soulscourge | Pre-HM |
| Starcrash | 18 / 2 | 30% | 20 Meteorite Bar + 10 Chain + 10 Fallen Star (Anvil) | Primes enemies; minion hits trigger a meteor at 1.33× minion damage | Pre-HM |
| Vulgar Display of Flower | 75 / 9 | 15% | Plantera drop (1/8 chance) | Homing volatile petals on minion hit (40 dmg each) | HM |
| Electric Eel | 150 / 12 | 5% | Duke Fishron drop (1/6 chance) | Lightning chains between tagged enemies; grants minions 5% crit chance | HM |
| Constellation | 130 / 15 | 10% | 18 Stardust Fragment (Ancient Manipulator) | 6 homing Shooting Stars on hit; 15% minion crit vs tagged targets | Post-Cultist |
| Possession | 110 / 25 | 5% | Moon Lord drop (1/5 chance) | 10% crit + prophetic vision minions on tagged hit | Post-ML |
One note on Starcrash: despite its low tag damage of 2, the meteor proc fires every time a minion hits a primed target at 1.33× minion damage. With multiple active minions hitting simultaneously, Starcrash is the strongest Pre-Hardmode whip for boss fights despite looking weak on paper.
Pre-Hardmode Summoner Progression
The fastest Pre-Hardmode path runs through three minion breakpoints: Finch Staff → ore whip (Soulscourge or Vasculash) → Starcrash + Bee Armor.
Opening setup: Craft the Cobwhip immediately using cobwebs from any underground cave. Farm birds during the day for the Finch Staff — it drops from birds spawned on the surface and hits harder than the Slime Staff. Abigail’s Flower (planted from Pumpkin Seeds on grass) is also strong for stationary fights like the Eye of Cthulhu.
Post-King Slime: The King Slime kill provides access to a Solidifier, which lets you craft the Slime Whip (50 Gel). Upgrade when you have the materials — the On Fire! debuff applies on every hit and stacks with minion damage reliably.
Corruption or Crimson route: After breaking three Shadow Orbs or Crimson Hearts, craft your biome whip. Soulscourge (12 Demonite Bar, Corruption) and Vasculash (12 Crimtane Bar, Crimson) both represent the largest single damage jump available in Pre-Hardmode. Vasculash wins at 19 vs 17 base damage for the same ore cost if you’re on a Crimson world.
Post-meteorite: After defeating Eye of Cthulhu or Brain of Cthulhu, a meteorite crashes. Farm 20 Meteorite Bars, 10 Chain, and 10 Fallen Stars and craft the Starcrash. Despite its 2 tag damage, the meteor proc — which fires on every minion hit against a primed enemy at 1.33× minion damage — makes it the correct whip for every boss fight through the Wall of Flesh.
Queen Bee is mandatory. Her Bee Armor adds +1 minion slot and bee swarm projectiles. The jump from 2 to 3 active minions is a 50% DPS increase before accounting for the bee swarm. Do not enter the Wall of Flesh fight without this armor set.
Pre-WoF accessory priority:
- Pygmy Necklace (+1 minion slot) — Witch Doctor at night for 20 Gold; buy this as soon as the NPC moves in
- Feral Claws (+12% whip speed) — Underground Jungle chests; free from exploration, significant DPS increase
- Mobility boots of any kind for the WoF horizontal run
Hardmode Summoner Progression
Spider Armor is your Hardmode entry point. The full set (crafted from 36 Spider Fang at an Anvil) gives +3 minion slots and +28% summon damage — both better than anything available in Pre-Hardmode. Combine it with the Spider Staff (28 Spider Fang) for immediate Hardmode viability. Find Spider Caves in the Underground Jungle and farm them before engaging any mechanical boss.
Post-mech bosses: Build the Durendal (12 Hallowed Bar at a Mythril/Orichalcum Anvil) — its attack speed bonus stacks well with Hallowed Armor’s whip speed helmet bonus (+25% attack speed). The Optic Staff (12 Black Lens + Mechanical Eye) is the standard mid-Hardmode summon: two mechanical eyes with alternating targeting patterns hold their own through Plantera. Transition to Hallowed Armor (Hood variant) for the whip speed bonus before farming Plantera.
The Summoner Emblem from Wall of Flesh (+15% summon damage) remains a core accessory through most of Hardmode. Don’t sell it.
Post-Plantera — the biggest gear jump: Two things unlock simultaneously. The Witch Doctor now sells the Hercules Beetle (+15% summon damage, +2 knockback), and you can craft the Papyrus Scarab by combining the Necromantic Scroll (from Pumpking, Halloween event, +10% dmg, +1 minion) with the Hercules Beetle. The Papyrus Scarab gives +15% damage and +1 minion slot in a single slot. It’s the single highest-value accessory in the summoner kit. Switch to Tiki Armor (Witch Doctor, ~1 Platinum post-Plantera) for +4 minion slots and +30% damage.
[NEW 1.4.5] Vulgar Display of Flower drops from Plantera at 1/8 chance. Its homing petals deal 40 damage per hit on each minion proc, making it the correct whip for crowd-heavy fights: Dungeon grind, Pumpkin Moon, Goblin Army invasions. For single-target boss fights, Durendal’s attack speed advantage may edge it out depending on your minion count.
[NEW 1.4.5] Electric Eel drops from Duke Fishron at 1/6 chance. At 150 base damage with lightning chains between tagged enemies and a 5% built-in crit for summoned units, this becomes your go-to boss whip through the Lunar Events. Duke Fishron is farmable before Plantera with good enough gear — if you want Electric Eel early, fly armor + Spider Staff can clear him, but expect to spend significant attempts. Plan for two to three Duke kills on average for the drop. Check our Terraria progression guide for full boss sequencing advice.
Post-Moon Lord: Stardust Dragon vs Cell Staff
Endgame summoner revolves around Stardust Armor (crafted from Stardust Fragments + Luminite Bars at an Ancient Manipulator): +66% summon damage, +5 minion slots, and the Stardust Guardian set bonus. Two Stardust summon weapons define the endgame:
- Stardust Dragon Staff: Each use adds a dragon segment. Each segment targets independently, and with enough segments the Dragon hits harder on single targets than any other summon. For boss fights — Moon Lord farming, Pumpking phase bosses — Dragon is the standard pick. Additional summon slots are spent growing the Dragon rather than adding separate minions.
- Stardust Cell Staff: Cells attach to enemies and spawn smaller cells continuously. Superior for multi-enemy scenarios: invasions, Martian Madness, Pumpkin Moon waves. In those situations, Cells outperform the Dragon because the Dragon concentrates damage on a single target while Cells spread across the room.
The standard endgame build runs Dragon for bosses + [NEW 1.4.5] Constellation as the whip (18 Stardust Fragment at the Ancient Manipulator). Constellation’s 15% critical hit chance against tagged enemies scales hard with full Stardust armor and a near-maxed Dragon. After your first Moon Lord kill, upgrade to [NEW 1.4.5] Possession for +25 tag damage — the highest of any whip — and 10% crit, pushing sustained boss DPS higher on subsequent runs.
Whip Selection: Which Fight, Which Whip
With tag exclusivity in 1.4.5, your whip is a per-fight decision. Here are the optimal picks by scenario:
| Scenario | Best Whip | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-HM bosses (EoC, BoC, Skeletron) | Starcrash | Meteor proc at 1.33× minion damage fires frequently with multiple active minions; outperforms higher tag damage options at this gear tier |
| Wall of Flesh | Starcrash | Horizontal boss with long exposure time; meteor proc fires repeatedly on every minion contact |
| HM crowd fights (Dungeon, Pumpkin Moon, invasions) | Vulgar Display of Flower | Homing petals hit multiple enemies from a single application; 40 dmg per petal adds up fast in rooms with grouped enemies |
| Single-target HM bosses (Twins, Skeletron Prime, Plantera) | Durendal (sub-Plantera) or Electric Eel (post-Plantera) | Durendal’s attack speed bonus maximises minion targeting time; Electric Eel’s lightning chains extend to adds in multi-phase fights |
| Lunatic Cultist + Lunar Events | Electric Eel | Lightning bounces between pillar enemies; 5% crit applies on every bounce, compounding across large enemy groups |
| Moon Lord (first kill) | Constellation | 15% minion crit against tagged targets; 6 homing stars add secondary damage on each whip hit |
| Moon Lord (farm runs after first kill) | Possession | Highest tag damage of any whip at 25; 10% crit on top of Stardust armor bonuses |
Best Accessories by Progression Tier
| Tier | Accessory | Effect | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-HM | Pygmy Necklace | +1 minion slot | Witch Doctor at night, 20 Gold |
| Pre-HM | Feral Claws | +12% whip speed | Underground Jungle chest |
| HM entry | Summoner Emblem | +15% summon damage | Wall of Flesh drop |
| HM entry | Berserker’s Glove | +12% whip speed, autoswing | Crafted: Power Glove + Feral Claws |
| Post-Plantera | Papyrus Scarab [best in slot] | +15% summon damage, +1 minion slot, +2 knockback | Crafted: Necromantic Scroll + Hercules Beetle |
| Post-Plantera | Necromantic Scroll | +10% summon damage, +1 minion slot | Pumpking drop (Pumpkin Moon event) |
| Endgame | Stardust Wings | Best flight for Moon Lord fight | Crafted: Stardust Fragment + Luminite Bar |
| Endgame | Celestial Shell | Full-moon stat bonuses; combines with Stardust armor to approach summon damage cap | Crafted: Celestial Stone + Moon Shell |
Player Type: Fastest Route vs Full Optimisation
| Player type | Prioritise | Skip or defer |
|---|---|---|
| New player | Bee Armor + Starcrash before Wall of Flesh; collect Summoner Emblem; buy Pygmy Necklace first. Don’t skip Queen Bee. | Stardust Dragon micromanagement — auto-attack works fine until you’re comfortable with the class |
| Casual / efficiency focus | Spider Armor + Spider Staff as Hardmode entry — lowest material investment, highest DPS jump available. Farm Plantera for Vulgar Display of Flower and move on. | Duke Fishron before Lunatic Cultist — Electric Eel is a meaningful upgrade but the fight is hard. Farm him if you hit a wall, not as a required step. |
| Full optimiser | Farm Duke Fishron pre-Cultist for Electric Eel. Skip Tiki Armor and go Spooky Armor (Pumpkin Moon event: Mourning Wood drops) for +65% damage. Combine Constellation + Stardust Dragon for Moon Lord. Use Possession on all subsequent farm runs. | Hallowed Armor — worth building for the whip speed helmet but replace it with Tiki as soon as possible; don’t linger here |
If you plan to use mods alongside your 1.4.5 summoner build, check our tModLoader installation guide for how to load content mods without breaking your progression.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you still switch between whips mid-fight in Terraria 1.4.5?
You can physically swap, but it doesn’t stack effects. Hitting an enemy with a second whip immediately clears the first tag before applying the new one. The old strategy of rapidly cycling two or three whips to maintain multiple tag buffs simultaneously does not work in 1.4.5. Pick the whip that best fits the encounter and stick with it — the whip selection table above is built around this constraint.
Is Summoner viable for all bosses in 1.4.5 or are there problem fights?
Viable across the board. The mana removal and auto-resummoning changes address the two scenarios that made summoner punishing before: dying mid-boss no longer costs your setup, and you never scramble for mana potions during a fight. The one legitimate challenge is early Hardmode before Spider Armor — the gap between Bee Armor and Spider Armor is significant. Get Spider Caves explored as the first Hardmode objective.
What’s the best summoner weapon before Bee Armor?
Finch Staff, not Slime Staff. The Finch Staff drops from birds spawned on the surface during the day and has higher base damage than Slime Staff. If you’re in a world where Pumpkin Seeds are available, Abigail’s Flower (planted from seeds on grass) is also strong for stationary fights like Eye of Cthulhu. For the first night, Finch Staff + Cobwhip is a fully functional setup that requires no boss kills and no crafting beyond basic materials.
Sources
- 1.4.5.0 Patch Notes — Official Terraria Wiki (terraria.wiki.gg/wiki/1.4.5.0)
- Whips — Official Terraria Wiki (terraria.wiki.gg/wiki/Whips)
- Terraria 1.4.5 New Whips: Stats, Crafting Recipes, & More — BisectHosting
- All 9 New Whips in Terraria 1.4.5 — Pro Game Guides
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